TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A federal judge in Arizona temporarily blocked the Trump administration from removing dozens of Guatemalan and Honduran children living in shelters or foster care after coming to the U.S. alone, following a decision made on Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez in Tucson extended until at least September 26 a temporary restraining order issued over the Labor Day weekend. The judge raised concerns about whether the government had arranged for any of the children's parents or legal guardians in Guatemala to receive custody of them.
Laura Belous, an attorney for the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which represents the children, stated that the minors expressed no willingness to return to Guatemala or Honduras due to fears of neglect, potential child trafficking, and personal medical issues.
Lawyers representing the children underscored their clients' deep fears about returning home, contending that the government was not abiding by legislative protections meant for young migrants.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 57 Guatemalan and 12 Honduran children aged 3 to 17, argues against the immediate deportation of these young migrants, demanding their right to present cases to an immigration judge, receive legal counsel, and be placed in settings favorable to their interests.
Denise Ann Faulk, an assistant U.S. attorney under the Trump administration, asserted that the child repatriations were part of high-level negotiations aimed at reuniting children with families, thereby alleviating lengthy barriers to re-entry into the U.S. Nearly all affected children are in custody of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and are located at shelters in Phoenix and Tucson.
The Arizona case highlights a broader theme, echoing similar lawsuits in Illinois and Washington, D.C., aiming to halt the government's actions in this issue. Judge Márquez remarked on the frightening possibility that officials might not have effectively coordinated with the children's guardians while expressing concern over the denial of meaningful judicial review.
The Trump administration's standpoint is that their actions are intended to reunite children with families at the urging of the Guatemalan government. This contention has become a larger conversation amid a backdrop of increasing child migrant crossings, a phenomenon significantly rising since 2014.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez in Tucson extended until at least September 26 a temporary restraining order issued over the Labor Day weekend. The judge raised concerns about whether the government had arranged for any of the children's parents or legal guardians in Guatemala to receive custody of them.
Laura Belous, an attorney for the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which represents the children, stated that the minors expressed no willingness to return to Guatemala or Honduras due to fears of neglect, potential child trafficking, and personal medical issues.
Lawyers representing the children underscored their clients' deep fears about returning home, contending that the government was not abiding by legislative protections meant for young migrants.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 57 Guatemalan and 12 Honduran children aged 3 to 17, argues against the immediate deportation of these young migrants, demanding their right to present cases to an immigration judge, receive legal counsel, and be placed in settings favorable to their interests.
Denise Ann Faulk, an assistant U.S. attorney under the Trump administration, asserted that the child repatriations were part of high-level negotiations aimed at reuniting children with families, thereby alleviating lengthy barriers to re-entry into the U.S. Nearly all affected children are in custody of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and are located at shelters in Phoenix and Tucson.
The Arizona case highlights a broader theme, echoing similar lawsuits in Illinois and Washington, D.C., aiming to halt the government's actions in this issue. Judge Márquez remarked on the frightening possibility that officials might not have effectively coordinated with the children's guardians while expressing concern over the denial of meaningful judicial review.
The Trump administration's standpoint is that their actions are intended to reunite children with families at the urging of the Guatemalan government. This contention has become a larger conversation amid a backdrop of increasing child migrant crossings, a phenomenon significantly rising since 2014.
